AIC's 52nd Annual Meeting

An 18th century painted silk gown was selected as part of the fashion gallery rotation in Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore, in 2022. The sack-back gown made of imported Chinese hand-painted silk is a significant object to the museum’s collection as it reflects how luxurious Chinese exported textiles were acquired by Europe. The painted silk gown featured back pleats stitched down to just above the waist and gradually flared out to a modest train. It has a closed-front bodice, with double-sleeves ruffles; concealed on the inside sleeves are roundels which probably function as weights to keep the structure of the sleeve stable when worn. The dress was structurally fragile and showed the characteristic damage of splitting silk ground in areas painted with the motifs of green leaves. Most conventionally encountered three-dimensional textile from the national collection did not exhibit such condition so therefore it is important to find out the pigments used and how the materials will react in formulating the conservation approach. Object documentation, and literature review including the history of the object were done to further understand its condition. Scientific analysis was carried out to find out the compositions of the painted surface, and to identify the material of the roundels. Results of the analysis was used to establish the treatment method as well as be informed of the precautionary health & safety measures required for handling.

Case studies of paper support successfully used in textiles treatment showed that the material would provide the necessary strength and firmness required. The treatment of this gown was, hence, an opportunity to evaluate Tengujo support casted with Klucel®G that has been researched suitable in conserving silk. Tengujo, a very thin Japanese tissue paper made from Japanese mulberry tree, has been evaluated suitable to stabilise structural damages on silk materials. The choice of adhesive- Klucel®G provided the required working properties for textile and allows treatment repeatability. While research showed the choice of paper and adhesive used in textile support treatment, the concentration of adhesive to the applied number of coatings was undefined, a less documented aspect in material preparation. It was of interest to establish their correlation for refinement of the technique. Various combinations of different weights Tengujo and adhesive concentrations were prepared and tested. Tactile attributes for thickness, stiffness, and homogeneity, of the samples were assessed by a panel of textile conservators through sensory evaluation. Sensory evaluation assesses sensory properties of fabrics through manipulation of the material to assess its handle. It makes use of human perception to measure the tactile attributes of fabrics. Findings from sensory evaluation have allowed objective data to be quantified and compared. The result revealed that the light and medium weight Tengujo samples had better adhesion. on the other hand, the heavier weight Tengujo samples were more rigid, and had less adhesion. Much can be drawn from sensory evaluation especially when working with less used conservation materials in textile conservation. Through the test and analysis carried out, tactile attributes and working properties of the non-woven adhesive support had been elicited to reduce uncertainty in conservation decision making.